Something to Talk About
by Lilith4
Summary: A songfic to Bonnie Raitt. Hermione hears a rumor that she and Ron are secretly together. This makes her wonder... R/Hr fluff. so fluffy with the fluffiness.


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Something to Talk About

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*By Lilith*

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and co. Belong to The Supreme Goddess of Potterverse, J.K. Rowling, and the song "Something to talk about" belongs to the kickass chick Bonnie Raitt, whose name I do not know how to spell, but I think I got it right.

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Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley walked up the stairs to the Griffindor common room, both carrying heavy books and bulging bookbags. They clambered in through the portrait hole, and dumped the books onto a squashy red couch. Several heads looked up to see who had come in, but most of them looked back down again upon seeing who it was. A few heads, however, smirked at the pair in a knowing way. Hermione saw this, but Ron appeared oblivious.

"C'mon, Hermione, this bloody report won't write itself," he grumbled, rooting around in his bag for parchment, quill and ink. He stole a quick glance at her, then pretended he hadn't. Hermione noticed this as well, and, thoroughly confused, opened her bag and took out a pristine roll of parchment. She placed the parchment on the table, took out a nice clean quill, a bottle of ink, and picked up a book with a long red ribbon weaved into it's pages, marking spots with good information. Hermione dipped her quill in the ink, and began to write. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ron slap down a roll of parchment, pull out a slightly ratty-looking quill, and begin to write as well.

"Hey, bookworms." Hermione smiled and looked up. It was Harry, her other best friend aside from Ron. He had been practicing Quidditch all evening, and looked thoroughly beaten. His hair was windswept, his glasses slightly askew, and his robes twisted in a funny manner. He was grinning down at the two of them, and Hermione realized with a flush that hers and Ron's heads were leaning in, close to the other's. She quickly straightened.

"Harry, how was practice?" asked Ron, not looking up from his paper but throwing a book at his black-haired friend. "Read the first passage in that to me, will you?" Harry made room for himself on the couch, between Ron, Hermione and the books, and began to read from the old and dusty copy of a "Sumerian Gods, Goddesses, and Their Impact on the Wizarding World". Ron scibbled furiously, and Hermione glanced over at him.

"Hermione?" she started as Ron looked towards her.

"Yeah?" she replied, hoping he hadn't noticed her looking at him. She'd been doing that a lot lately, partially because Harry was almost never around, and partly because he wasn't so bad to look at. Hermione didn't really wonder why, it was simply some subconscious impulse. 

"You've left "The Greek God's Family Tree" up in your dormitory," said Ron. "Remember, you took it up there yesterday?"

"Oh, right! Sorry, I'll go and get it," she said, putting the lid on her ink bottle and putting down her quill. She hurried up the stairs to her dorm, but paused when she reached the closed door. Voices were coming from inside. She leaned in to see who it was, and was shocked at what she heard.

"—Ron and Hermione?"

"Of course! Parvati, where have you *been*? I'd bet a hundred Galleons those two are going out in secret!" That was Lavender's voice. "I mean, have you seen the way they look at each other? I keep seeing Ron sneak peeks at her out of the corner of his eye, and she keeps staring at him. And this one time, ooh, they were talking, and after they were finished, they sort of stared into each other's eyes for a moment afterwards, then sort of walked away," Lavender said, excited. She was on a roll now, and Hermione leaned in to hear better.

"Yeah, I noticed the way they stand when they're together," chimed in Padma Patil, Pervati's twin sister. "Just a _little_ too close! It's so cute, but they're not fooling anyone."

"Did you see yesterday, in Care of Magical Creatures?" there was a pause, and Hermione assumed someone shook their head, because Lavender continued, "They were whispering together all through the lesson, and they both kept laughing at the other's comments. Harry was just sort of looking off into space. I suppose it's easy for them to spend time together, now that he's so busy practicing all the time."

Hermione's head was spinning. She quickly walked halfway down the stairs, turned around, and made a lot of noise heading up the door. She opened it loudly, and walked to her bed. The three sitting on the bed had quickly changed their discussion to the best spell to keep your hair in place, but Hermione noted they looked a little guilty. She quickly got the book and headed back into the common room, putting the book next to Ron's elbow. She then sat down in her seat, her mind whirling.

_Oh God. Oh God. Are they right? I know, I stare at him sometimes, but we're just friends! That's all! He's not interested in me like that! I mean... but... what they're saying is true... No! It can't be! I mean, we would have seen it! At least, I would have... Oh God. I think they've spotted something we haven't. _Hermione's eyes went wide. 

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People are talkin'

Talking 'bout people  
I hear them whisper

You won't believe it  
They think we're lovers 

Kept under covers  
I just ignore it, but they keep saying  
We laugh just a little too loud  
We stand just a little too close  
We stare just a little too long  
Maybe they're seeing

Ssomething we don't, Darlin'

Hermione looked at Ron. He was chewing on the end of his quill, and Harry was looking over Ron's shoulder at something the redhead had written. Hermione looked away quickly, raking her hands through her hair.

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How could I have been so stupid? She groaned inwardly. _Why didn't I ever notice? _Hermione quickly tried to control her erratic breathing, also trying to hold back the slight panic she felt at hearing this rumor. _What'll I do? How do I act around him?_ _I don't want any more rumors... but if I act differently, they'll think something's up. _She looked back at Ron, who was struggling to write his essay, and nodded to herself. _I'll act exactly the same, _she decided. _I'll pretend like nothing has happened. If I ignore what they're saying, it'll just go away... right? _With a small inaudible sigh, Hermione opened a book and tried to continue writing her essay.

The next week was enough to confuse Hermione and drive her to her wit's end. That one little conversation between her bunkmates was enough to drive her mad, if it wasn't for the way that Ron was acting around her. Or rather, the way he had always acted, and she had never noticed. He'd say something flattering, then blush and quickly change the subject. He'd defend her from Malfoy with a fire in his eyes, but then refuse to look her in the face for the rest of the day. It was altogether infuriating, now that she knew what it meant.

Why _did I have to listen to that conversation? _Hermione moaned to herself, head in her hands. _This is... too much, it's too complicated. I can't stop thinking about this! It's insane! Plus, that weird dream... _Hermione blushed just thinking about it. The dream hadn't been anything racy, but there had been a moment... a very Medieval moment... where Ron had come a long in a frilly outfit and carried her off on his frilly-outfitted-horse. _This is simply foolish. I like him... okay, I like him a lot... Does he like me? If this past week's been anything to go by, he's fallen for me hard. Oh, I hope he has... _Hermione took her head out of her hands. In order to get this whole mess to make sense, she was going to have to talk to someone. She winced slightly as this realization, but it was the only way.

"Harry? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione winced at the words... she sounded far too nervous and girly. Harry looked up at her in surprise. It was one o'clock in the morning, and Harry was finishing up a Divination prediction due the next day. 

"Sure," he said, gesturing for her to sit down, which she did, nervously. Hermione clasped her hands together, then began twisting them around in her lap. Harry looked at her expectantly. "Hermione?" he ventured after a few minutes of silence. She took a deep breath.

"What do you do... do you know... I mean... Is Ron... does he..." Harry looked at her, confused, as Hermione tried to piece together her thoughts. She finally took a huge breath, and let it out quickly.

"DoesRonlikeme?" she asked quickly, and looked away, her fingers twisting around while her hands rested on her knees. Harry'e eyebrows shot up a few inches.

"Pardon?" he managed, disbelieving. Was Hermione really asking him this? Calm, cool Hermione who wasn't rattled by anything from Potions exams to detentions in the Forbidden Forest, was actually thinking about _boys_?! Not just any boy, in fact, but _Ron_?! He'd known, of course, that the two had liked each other, but never would he have guessed that Hermione would lose sleep over it.

"Does... Ron... like... me?" she asked again, responding to him, in a voice so low it could have been a whisper. 

"I... I'd think that's pretty obvious, Hermione," Harry said, smiling slightly. She groaned.

"So he hasn't... _said _anything?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Hermione... we don't really talk about things like that," answered Harry, surprised at how nervous she was. She nodded slightly, but looked pale. "Look, Hermione... As Ron's best guy friend, I can assure you that unless he is hiding an extremely good talent for acting, Ron is completely crazy about you," assured Harry. Hermione nodded again.

"I don't know, Harry, I just... it's so complicated! How do I bring this up with him?" she moaned, hiding her face in her hands. Harry patted her head comfortingly.

"Well, at least you've admitted you have feelings for him," he said reassuringly. "That's a step in the right direction." Hermione nodded, her face still buried in her hands. "What do you want to do now, Hermione? Do you want to... y'know, be a couple?" Hermione pulled her hands away from her face. 

"I don't know, Harry... I just want to know for sure, and to be able to stop thinking about this! It's driving me crazy!" She shook her head, as though trying to shake her thoughts away.

"Well, I can assure you one thing," Harry said. "Ron knows he's nuts about you. I can tell. If you want to figure this out... why don't you talk to him about it?" Off Hermione's mortified expression, he added hastily, "Or I could talk to him, y'know... see if he likes you?" She bit her lip, then nodded slightly.

"Don't be too obvious, okay?" Hermione pleaded. "I really... I can't believe I'm actually talking about this! I feel like such a girl!"

"You _are _a girl, Hermione," Harry reminded her awkwardly. "It's okay, don't worry. It'll work out fine." She nodded, and got up. 

"I'm going to bed," she said hoarsely. "I'll see you in the morning." With that, Hermione headed quickly up the stairs, leaving Harry to his Divination homework.

The next day was Saturday, which Harry had completely forgotten the night before. So he had the perfect opportunity to talk to Ron, who was sitting on his four-poster bed, leafing through Harry's homework to get some ideas for his own.

"Ron?" Harry asked, praying that his friend wouldn't get mad at him.

"Mmm?" Ron replied, scribbling something on his Sun chart. 

"I was just thinking," Harry said, trying to sound casual, "and I've noticed that lots of people have begun pairing up this last year."

"Uh-huh," said Ron, who didn't appear to be paying much attention. Harry crossed his fingers, hoping for the best, and nonchalantly asked,

"So, you hoping to pair up with anyone this year?"

Ron turned around to stare at him, his ears flaming pink.

"N-no one in particular," he stuttered, turning back to his homework, obviously nervous. Harry suddenly decided to go with an impulse. It would be much easier than pulling teeth if he simply...

"Ron, I know you like Hermione," Harry stated. Ron turned to stare again, this time even his cheeks were pink.

"I-I do not!" Ron protested feebly. Harry fixed him with a look, which simply said 'You're not fooling anyone with that attitude'.

"Uh-huh, and I'm a Death Eater. Look, Ron, it's obvious how you feel, and it's pretty obvious how she feels, too. So if you ever want to, y'know, tell her... I'm sure she feels the same way. So ask her to the Yule Ball already."

  
_I feel so foolish_

I never noticed  
You'd act so nervous

Could you be falling for me?  
It took a rumor 

To make me wonder  
Now I'm convinced I'm going under  
Thinking 'bout you every day  
Dreaming 'bout you every night  
Hoping that you feel the same way  
Now that we know it, let's really show it, Darlin'

Hermione was sitting in the common room when Harry came down and whispered in her ear what had occurred in the dormitories, and she paled.

"You told him that?" she hissed, looking angry... but then her face froze. Harry turned to see Ron walking into the common room, his spiky hair messier than usual, and looking slightly pale. Harry hurried away from Hermione and went to go sit by Neville, who was trying to put a leash on his toad, Trevor.

Ron approached Hermione and put his hand on her shoulder. She could have sworn she felt electrical tingles coming from his hands, and when he murmured "Can I talk to you for a moment?" she nearly fainted. But she nodded, got up, and followed Ron out the portrait hole into the corridor. He turned to face her, and he had a kind of wild look in his eyes, as though he was about to do something completely unexpected or against the rules. It sent shivers up Hermione's spine.

"Hermione?" he asked, in a slightly strangled voice.

"Uh-huh?" she replied, nervous, trying to look at him without him noticing.

"I suppose... D'you want to go to the Ball with me?" Hermione sucked in a deep breath. This she had not expected. Because she didn't quite trust her voice, she reached out tentatively and took Ron's hand, then nodded. He squeezed her hand, and smiled, looking as though he had just narrowly escaped being flayed and eaten alive.

"Did... so Harry talked to you?" Hermione asked after a moment, when she'd gotten her voice back. Ron nodded, then smiled, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"D'you want to drive him crazy?" Ron asked, grinning. "And not just Harry, I mean, but everyone?" Hermione smiled.

"How?" she asked carefully, not wanting to get caught up in anything that could result in trouble. But Ron knew that, and he laughed.

"It's nothing that will get us in trouble," he said, grinning. But Hermione already had an idea of what he was going to say.

"We should go back in there, and act like nothing's happened? And if anyone asks... we give them a mysterious smile and float away?" Hermione grinned, as did Ron.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," said Ron. They both flashed a smile at the other and walked into the common room, smiling mysteriously. Ron was immediatly carried away by the male Griffindors, and Hermione was swamped by the females.

"Hermione! Omigod, what happened? Did he ask you???"

"Oh! He did, didn't he! Are you going out now?"

"Why Ron, and not Harry?"

Hermione gave them all a small, mysterious smile.

"Honestly, you all..." she sighed. "Where's my Arithmacy homework?" And no matter how hard they tried, no one could get a single peep out of Hermione about what had happened between her and Ron in the hallway. It was their secret.

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Let's give them something to talk about  
A little mystery to figure out  
Let's give them something to talk about  
How about love, love, love, love?

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A/N: Okies, it over! You like? My insane sleep-deprived brain needs to sleep now, 'cause its like 3:30 am on a Sunday... and Christmas is on Tuesday... arghh, i need my sleepytime. Sorry if this sucked a bit, but I'm really tired and just kinda wanted to get this one over with... so anyway sleepy time for lilith. I hope you enjoyed reading this even though it sucked. Here is a nice piece of advice. Go rent Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Really. You will die laughing. Oh, I am insanely bitter at ff.net at this point... I am so tired, i don't wanna hafta deal with all the choices when posting this... ahhh... zzz...

--Lilith

(i'm too tired to think up anything witty at this point)


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